Introductions
by Vampykitty-kun
Summary: Jason had heard about the new Batgirl simply by word of mouth on the streets. He supposed he should have felt just as much outrage for Babs as he had for himself, but also figured that he should know better, that no Batgirl would be running across the streets of Gotham without her permission. One-shot, gen.


He had heard about the new Batgirl simply by word of mouth on the streets. He supposed he should have felt just as much outrage for Babs as he had for himself, but also figured that he should know better, that no Batgirl would be running across the streets of Gotham without her _permission_.

He left it alone, hadn't wanted to touch that with a fifty foot pole, it was none of his business anyway. Not anymore.

It honestly surprised him that it had taken as long as it did when their paths did eventually cross. He expected narrow eyes, heels flying at his face, threatening to lodge themselves in the surface of his mask. He expected a fiery temper like the redhead that had filled the cowl previously. He had anticipated bruises, on his body, and his ego. Ultimately, he had expected another confrontation with a ghost from the past that had would be so disturbingly twisted and wrong that he'd be plowing his way through yet another bottle of cheap liquor.

Except, he should have known by now that things were hardly ever what he was expecting.

This Batgirl was more Bruce than Babs even at a first glace. No eyes bright and shining in the night, just cowl, no lenses even. Not an inch of skin visible nor spiked heels to speak of.

And it admittedly threw him off his game. Something that probably wasn't wise considering the sheer amount of bullets aimed his way and the number of faces crunching at the force of his fists, but still.

He expected handcuffs.

Instead, he received assistance as her back pressed against his, and they plowed through the mob together. And he could see it, feel it as she moved with him, a shadow at his rear, at his side, and before him. She was different, nothing at all like Babs, unique even when compared to Bruce. But not at all unfamiliar. She sparked flashes of memory f his early days with Talia. Of assassin and ninja, of shadows, darkness, and death.

This Batgirl was holding back. Fighting against instinct. Fighting against nature- if of course he was reading her correctly.

When bodies had all hit the floor, _unconscious_, or fled like the cowards they were, he was fully expecting to have one hell of a fight on his hands.

Instead, he was yet again surprised, and ultimately perplexed.

She turned to face him, and with her cowl covering her entire face he couldn't read her for the life of him. She merely stared, and after a while she tilted her head at him curiously. Reading him he supposed. It was unnerving to say the least.

So he sighed, tossed his arms out to the side, and tilted his own helmet encased head with a cocky grin he often forgot was invisible.

"We gonna dance or what?" He laughed, despite himself, and left his guard open.

Still she did not move forward, only tilted in the opposite direction.

"_…Dance?_"

And the confusion in her surprisingly soft voice had even him second guessing the situation.

"I… well, _yeah_. You know…fight?" And he was cursing himself all the while because he knew that must sound like he was every bit his age and pathetically less confident that he liked to appear.

But Batgirl de-tensed, and shook her head before she approached, notably not a sound echoing from her footsteps.

"No. No fighting." It was said with finality.

His hand twitched at his side, ready to grab his gun if need be as she grew closer, and he decided that this black as night thing she had going on was most definitely a scare tactic and unnerving as all hell.

But before he could move, before he had the thought to speak, she was before him with an outstretched hand, and he was glad the helmet hid his confused gape.

"Cassandra."

And just like that any potential worries he had had just fizzled off into nothingness as he hesitantly reached out and clasped her hand.

"…Jason."

In an instant it was all over… she posed no threat, and instead of attempting to wrestle him into zip tied wrists she simply turned on her heel and walked away.

And as he was situating himself and cataloging any injuries he might have acquired before going on his way, she turned back to him, made an effort to be sure he had heard the movement, and he looked up alarmed as he froze.

"Be safe."

And that was all. In seconds she had disappeared into the night. And as Jason set off on his path back to his current safe house he couldn't help the hint of a smile that slid across his face after such a neutral encounter.  
Different sort of Batgirl for sure… but perhaps one he could get used to.


End file.
